# Hiccups **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 5, 2016, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581 "2016-06-05T16:18:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/1 "2016-06-05T16:18:43Z")
It started this morning. Now it is a constant _HIC_ every few minutes. People are making fun of me and I can only reply with _HIC_. I blame it on the sushi from last night. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/2 "2016-06-05T21:04:52Z")
I hope you don’t become that man from The Simpsons, who’s been hiccuping for 45 years: “_hic_ kill me, _hic_ kill me” I’m sure you won’t. BOO! ---
**Author:** ![Lightlystarched](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Lightlystarched](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightlystarched)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/3 "2016-06-05T21:13:09Z")
Stick your index fingers into each of your ears. Pop them out at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/4 "2016-06-05T21:21:12Z")
Find a quiet place where people won’t mock you or make you laugh. Take as deep a breath as you can possibly hold, and hold it for as long as possible (hence the need for not laughing). This works for me and requires a minimum of equipment or shenanigans. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/5 "2016-06-06T00:48:25Z")
A spoonful of granulated sugar often is the cure for me. When I developed a nasty case of hiccups while being wired up for a sleep study some years back, the technician took pity on me and raided their coffee stash for a few packets. In our household, my daughter has started calling them “the dammits” because when I’ve got a bad case, one will catch me by surprise resulting in ::hic:: DAMMIT!! ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/6 "2016-06-06T00:49:44Z")
> [@Lightlystarched](#): > > Stick your index fingers into each of your ears. Pop them out at the same time. Make sure to get a really good seal with the fingers. Then you won’t have any eardrums left to hear your own hiccups! Please ignore the above advice. It is a seriously bad idea to blow out your eardrums. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/7 "2016-06-06T00:55:24Z")
The sugar has always worked for me. Sometimes holding my breath works but the sugar never fails. ---
**Author:** ![Marine\_One](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marine_one/32/3461_2.png) [@Marine\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marine_One)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/8 "2016-06-06T01:49:43Z")
Slowly inhale and exhale into a plastic or paper bag. With me, this works within a minute. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/9 "2016-06-06T02:06:24Z")
> [@Cabin\_Fever](#): > > It started this morning. Now it is a constant _HIC_ every few minutes. People are making fun of me and I can only reply with _HIC_. > I blame it on the sushi from last night. They aren’t contagious like yawns, are they? 'Cause I can’t afford to miss work tomorrow… _wink_ ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/10 "2016-06-06T03:02:25Z")
> [@Marine\_One](#): > > Slowly inhale and exhale into a plastic or paper bag. > > With me, this works within a minute. This is what I do, except without the bag. Just long slow steady deep breaths in and out, and they’re gone before you know it. It’s the only remedy that’s ever worked for me. ---
**Author:** ![Taco\_the\_cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@Taco\_the\_cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taco_the_cat)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/11 "2016-06-06T20:21:28Z")
Try to enjoy them. It will only last a short while. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/12 "2016-06-06T22:42:20Z")
Drinking from the opposite side of the glass works for me every time (it involves tipping your head forward until it’s almost upside down). It doesn’t work at all for my wife, so who knows. Scaring her also doesn’t work, but I still try it every time, just in case this is the time it works. Because I’m nice like that. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2016, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/13 "2016-06-06T23:14:20Z")
@ **Cabin\_Fever** : Still hiccupping? Day 2. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/14 "2016-06-07T01:52:53Z")
> [@Taco\_the\_cat](#): > > Try to enjoy them. It will only last a short while. I’m with you. With all our knowledge, we still don’t know what causes the hiccups. When you hiccup, you’re touching the wonder of being alive. ---
**Author:** ![Lubricious\_Integument](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@Lubricious\_Integument](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lubricious_Integument)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/15 "2016-06-07T01:57:59Z")
Inhale as much air as you possibly can and hold it for 30 seconds or so. Now gently try to inhale even more. Once you are at absolute capacity _slowly_ and I mean really slowly exhale with your mouth wide open. After that take gentle breaths for about 5 minutes and do not under any circumstances cough or clear your throat. ---
**Author:** ![kbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbear)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/16 "2016-06-07T09:21:47Z")
Exhale and swallow three times without inhaling. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/17 "2016-06-07T12:08:50Z")
I haven’t had a bout of hiccups in so long, I can’t even remember when it was. At least ten years. I wonder if that’s due to age, diet, or behaviour. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/18 "2016-06-07T14:15:47Z")
You have [Melmacian Hiccups](http://alf.wikia.com/wiki/Melmacian_hiccups) the only cure is to put a cat in the blender and drink the resulting juice. Well, there is another cure, but is too disgusting to contemplate. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/19 "2016-06-07T21:23:29Z")
@Cabin_Fever: Are you still following this thread? Still hiccupping? Day 3. ---
**Author:** ![pidgeon92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/50afbb/32.png) [@pidgeon92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pidgeon92)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiccups/756581/20 "2016-06-07T21:50:35Z")
When I was in the first grade I had the hiccups while in school, and another student took me over to the water fountain and had me drink while she plugged my ears with her fingers. I still use this method, and it always works. Now I put a straw in a glass of water, and plug my ears and take a number of long swallows. It might not clear up after the first few swallows, and then I just try again. It always stops after a few tries.